Gifted
by TwoFacedPierrot
Summary: Alfred led a normal life..until he was kidnapped and kept in a place invisible to the normal human eye. There, he meets a boy named Arthur who tells him that he has special powers. But there was one problem: Alfred had no idea what it was. AU
1. Chapter 1

**yes, i slacked off from my kuro story and wrote this instead.. (the stupid idea wouldn't leave me alone =3=) **

**anyway, this is only experimental and i probably won't be updating this for some time... /sigh/**

**Hetalia isn't mine. Excuse my mistakes please!**

**Enjoy! **

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><p>All his life, Alfred F. Jones had been a normal boy leading a normal life.<p>

That was, until he was kidnapped.

The twelve – going thirteen year old boy was home alone doing his homework while his parents were away. The sound that came from the kitchen just below his room made him curious to investigate. But he didn't know that people were waiting for his approach. A pair of hands clamped a cloth over his mouth and he drugged him unconscious before dragging him into a car and taking off.

And after who knows how long, he woke up, surrounded by many children about his own age in a dimly lit room.

"..Wha..?" he started sitting up, trying his hardest to fight the headache he was developing. "Where am I?"

No answer came from the other children. Instead, they merely stared at him with almost soulless eyes. Some whispered softly among themselves.

"_O…kay.."_ Alfred glanced at his surroundings, trying to figure out where exactly was he. "So I'm unwanted here.."

"..Who are you?" A boy (who Alfred figured was their leader) came forward. He had bright emerald eyes and sandy blond hair. His hair was so messy and untamed that Alfred figured he'd probably never bothered to comb. Like the rest of the kids there, the boy wore tattered brown clothes. Alfred realized with a start that _his_ clothing too, was swapped with rags.

"I'm Alfred." He answered. "Since you're here and talking to me, mind telling me what the heck's going on?"

Again, he did not receive an answer to his question. The boy merely studied him from head to toe (making him a_ little_ uncomfortable).

"What can you do?"

"_What?_ What do you mean?"

The boy held his hand out, and the room suddenly seemed to brighten. On his palm, a ball of pure darkness slowly appeared.

"Your powers," he said. "Since you're here, you should be a special child."

"Now that sounds harsh."

He closed his fist and sighed. The ball dissipated and the room was dark as before. "I'm serious."

Something about his tone made Alfred think that he wasn't the first person he was talking these matters with.

Alfred shifted his weight. "So.. you're saying I have powers like some kind of superhero or something?"

"Everyone here does."

Alfred stared at his own hands, then back at the boy. "Then this must be a _huge_ mistake."

"..Why so?"

"These powers, abilities – whatever you call them. I have none. I'm just a normal kid!"

The boy glanced away in thought, biting his lower lip. "That's impossible. They've never made a mistake."

"Well, they did this time!"

He averted his gaze back at him. "..We just need to wait and find out. If you're lucky.. then maybe.. they did make a mistake after all and let you go.."

He made _maybe_ sound like _no way in hell_.

Alfred let out a huge sigh before asking out of the sudden;

"..What's your name?"

"..Arthur. Arthur Kirkland."

"Arthur.." he echoed. "Nice name."

Arthur only shrugged as response. Then suddenly, a boy who had been sitting at a corner let out a sneeze. "Excuse me."

Alfred looked at him with disbelief, before finally asking to no one in particular. "Did he just like, sneeze _sparkles_?" Arthur didn't look the least surprised.

"Apparently, yes, he did. Feli heals with those 'sparkles'."

"Feli?"

"Yep! That's me!" the brunette piped up cheerfully – which, made him look odd among the sullen faces of the others.

"You're Italian?" Alfred asked, noticing the accent.

"Look around you." Arthur spoke up before the boy could reply. "We are from countries all over the world. They gathered us here because we are born special."

"Why.." the American mumbled. "..does this seem more and more like a movie coming to life?"

He got a curious stare from his companion. "..What is a _movie_?"

It was Alfred's turn to stare. "Wait.. you mean you _don't_ know?"

Arthur furrowed his thick eyebrows. "If I recall correctly, I have heard of it sometime before.. but I can't say that I've actually seen an actual one."

"_Whaat_?" Alfred stood up, waving his hands frantically. "How can they do that?"

"They very well can." Arthur said darkly. "And they did."

"Then why don't you guys fight for freedom? Didn't you say that everyone here has powers?"

Dead silence hung in the air. Alfred glanced around, wondering if he said something he shouldn't have.

Arthur stood up and turned away. "What do _you_ know? You just arrived here."

He started walking off, but Alfred grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

"Shut up and don't touch me!" Arthur yanked his arm from his grip and stormed off, leaving the American staring speechlessly.

_Great_. Just when Alfred thought he'd finally found a companion in there.

"Hey.. um.. Alfred, was it?"

He turned towards the source of the voice. Feli was gesturing him over. "Do you feel like talking for a moment?"

_No. Actually I don't_ Alfred wanted to answer but he was confused enough. And alone. He needed someone.

So he trudged over and sat down next to the Italian. Up close, Alfred noticed many details he couldn't see from far under the dim light; the extra curl on his hair, for example. And also how thin and sickly he looked, as well as the bruises he had on his exposed arms and legs.

"..Please don't be mad at Artie for his behavior.." Feli spoke up before Alfred could even think of what to say.

"What's his problem anyway?" the blonde asked, pouting slightly. Feli sighed.

"You see, breaking out of here is a sensitive issue for him." He explained. "Artie had been here all his life ever since he was an infant. His parents sold him to the very same people who captured us as soon as he proved his powers. Artie came with his elder brother who had almost similar powers. When they grew older, they made an escape plan together."

"..And it failed?" Alfred guessed. The Italian nodded sadly.

"Not only did it failed. Artie's brother took responsibility when they were captured and he was sentenced to a death penalty. Ever since then, Artie had been different – or so I heard. He'd tried many _many_ times to escape, but all in vain. Eventually, he completely gave up."

"If I may ask, why is it so hard to get outta here when you all have these cool powers?"

Feli chuckled softly. "Do you think we're the only ones who have powers here?" He held up a finger and a small ball of green light appeared at the tip. He then brought the finger towards the wall behind him. A centimeter before he touched it, the ball disappeared.

"..Do you understand now?"

Very slowly, it all sank in; why hadn't they been able to use their powers to break free.

"The walls nullify powers." Alfred said. "And just to change the subject, how do you guys even do that? The ball thing, I mean."

The Italian smiled. "Practice."

"Oh.." Alfred mentally face-palmed. Of course that needed practice. "Hey, now that I thought of it, wouldn't our parents be finding for us like mad?"

"What do you think?"

The blonde thought for a moment before focusing back on the Italian. "Mad." He decided. "But they can't find us, can't they?"

Feli shook his head. "I've been here for almost two years now, and well.. I'm still here. I'm quite sure that this place is shrouded with some kind of invisibility veil to keep people from finding us.."

"…" So many things swirled in Alfred's mind. One moment he was living a normal life, free to do whatever he wanted, to go wherever he wanted. Another he was captured, kept in a place that cannot be found and told he had powers. It seemed so cool in movies, getting to know you have superpowers and such and getting to train to control them properly. But now that it's happening to him, Alfred couldn't help but feel terrified.

He was deep in thought until a series of violent coughs brought him back to reality. Feli was doubled over, holding a hand over his mouth.

"Dude! Are you okay?" It took Alfred a second to register that he was sick. He quickly stumbled over and soothed his back in attempt to ease the coughing. The Italian boy raised a hand.

"..I'm.. fine.."

"You are so _not_ fine!" Alfred almost yelled. "You've got blood on your hands."

Feli looked at his stained palms and smiled. "This is nothing much. Really, I'm fine."

"Didn't Arthur say that your powers were to heal? Why don't you heal yourself? You might die if this goes on."

"I won't die." The brunette turned away. "Besides, my powers don't work on myself."

Before Alfred could ask another question, he spoke up again. "Do you have any siblings, Alfred?"

"Huh?" _What's with the sudden question?_ He thought. "Uh.. yeah. I have a younger brother back home.."

"I see.."

"You?"

"Me? I also have a fratello."

"Fratello?" Alfred sucked in Italian, and he was making it pretty obvious.

"Brother."

"Oh."

In the once again rising silence, Alfred absent-mindedly took his glasses off and polished them with the end of his shirt, ignoring the crack on the left lens. Feli noticed it and spoke up.

"Do you want that fixed?"

Before Alfred could reply, the Italian called a boy from across the room. The boy was Asian, with short black hair and deep brown eyes.

"Alfred, Kiku. Kiku, Alfred." Feli did the introduction. The Japanese boy nodded towards his new companion.

"Uh.. hi.." Alfred hated awkward intros.

"Can you fix his glasses, Kiku?" Feli asked the boy. Alfred held his specs out. Kiku took and inspected it before nodding. He was so silent, Alfred was beginning to wonder if he's mute.

The Asian traced his finger over the crack and at his touch, it disappeared. He returned it to Alfred.

"Thanks.." Alfred slipped them back on.

"..You're welcome." Kiku's sudden usage of vocal chords surprised him.

"Anyway, Kiku can fix or make anything as long as it's an inanimate object." Feli explained. "Isn't that great?"

"Awesome." Alfred mumbled.

"..What are your powers Alfred-san?" Kiku asked, once again startling the blond boy. Alfred sighed as soon as he recovered.

"That's the problem. I don't know. I'm not even sure I have such a thing."

"Didn't you get any signs?"

"Signs?"

"Like something weird that happened in your life. Something that cannot be logically explained."

Alfred thought back. There was this once when during a power outage when the whole house was pitch dark – except for his room, which, didn't even have an emergency light. His parents figured it had something to do with circuit connection haywire or something. Alfred never bothered to keep that in mind until now. Maybe that had a connection with his powers. Maybe not.

"..I don't think so.." he lied. "I can't really remember anyhow."

Kiku gave him a look that either meant "I pity you" or "You lucky bastard". Alfred couldn't' tell.

"Uh-"

Again, before he could say anything, he was cut off. The door slammed opened and a big muscular man stepped in. He must've been really confident with his own strength as he wore no armor when facing a group of adolescents with special abilities. He stepped in and stopped right in front of Alfred – who, was trying his best not to look too afraid.

"So you're that new brat huh?" the man said, baring his teeth in a sneer. "I don't suppose you thought that you would get special treatment or any shit like that did'cha?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He turned to the rest of the group and roared;

"Get moving midgets! It's your turn to work!"

Everyone started standing up and making their way towards the door like it was a daily routine. Having no idea what to do, Alfred followed them.

On their way to wherever they were heading, Alfred saw another group of kids. There were about twenty of them, the oldest barely at the age of fourteen. They were heading to the opposite direction where they came from. Alfred realized that they were from another batch of super-powered kids.

Meanwhile, Alfred's group was lead to what seemed to be a mining area. Every adolescent took their places as men shackled their hands and feet before handing them each a rusty sickle or spade. Being a newcomer, Alfred was dead last… next to Arthur, that is.

He stared at the pile in front of the boy. Unlike the rest of them, Arthur's pile of rocks and stones was huge. Also, he wasn't handed any tools. Instead, he had a wheelbarrow.

Alfred soon realized that Arthur was doing one of the hardest task among them. He was to carry heavy barrows of coals and whatnot to the next station god-knows how far away.

And he was doing it all by himself. Alone.

"..That's his punishment.."

Alfred turned towards Feli on his right. His bubbly expression was now as gloomy as the rest of them. His dust stained face was streaked with semi-dried tears.

"Feli…" he blinked. "Why are you-"

Then it hit him. That other batch of kids. Among them was a boy who looked very much like the Italian. That must be it. Feli's brother was also there – and there was no way he could talk to him.

They were so close together, yet so very far apart.

And that was when Alfred made up his mind.

Powers or not, he was going to get them out of there. Arthur, Feli, Kiku.. all of them. But for that, he needed everyone's help.

It was time for him to know his companions better.


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred felt as if his arm muscles were on fire.

As little as he wants to admit, Alfred had never actually done something that could be considered '_straining'_. True, he was quite active in sports, but he takes many breaks in between in order not to feel tired. Working in a mine for hours straight was obviously another story. Alfred wondered how the other kids could actually stand it. Then again, even if they can't, they probably had no choice.

Just when Alfred felt sure that his arms were about to break off, a guard yelled over the loud clanking of tools.

"Alright brats! That's it for today!"

Finally! Alfred exhaled. He examined his hands as he regrouped with the other adolescents of his batch. His palms were red and raw from holding a sickle and he could hardly feel his fingers. That makes one more good reason for them to escape.

The blond boy found himself once again in the chamber where he awoke in. How _many hours had passed since I arrived here?_ He wondered. Heck, he hadn't even a clue if it was day or night. Already he was missing the feeling of sunlight bathing his skin.

He shook the thought away and looked around. Everyone looked the same as they did before the mining work, just a little more exhausted looking. Alfred figured it was a good time to carry out his plan.

"Uhh.." he stood up nervously. He absolutely hated talking in front of an audience. "..Hey there everyone.."

A few regarded him. Most didn't bother.

"Anyway.." he continued. "My name Alfred and I'm twelve – almost thirteen actually, but that's besides the point."

Silence. He waited. One minute. Two minutes.

"So.. could you guys tell me yours?" he tried back up his first statement. Alfred glanced at his first companions for support. Unfortunately, Feli and Kiku only gave him strange looks.

"Guys…"

"Look, whatever you're trying to do, just stop it," a familiar voice spoke up behind him. Alfred turned to come face to face with Arthur's scowl.

"Aww come on.." Alfred said. "What's wrong with asking for names?"

Arthur glared at him somemore. Then just when he opened his mouth to say something, Feli chirped;

"My name is Feliciano Vargas and I'm fourteen years of age. My powers are healing."

To Alfred's surprise, Kiku followed suit. "Umm… I'm Honda Kiku and I'm thirteen. My powers are assembling objects to create an entirely different thing."

The American boy stared at his friends, gratitude flashing in his blue eyes. There was another moment of silence when finally, another Asian (who Alfred recognized as the one Kiku was with when he first arrived) spoke.

"I'm Wang Yao and I am the same age as Kiku, aru. I can duplicate any inanimate thing."

"..My name is Elizaveta Héderváry," a girl sitting in a corner said. "I'm fifteen and my powers are strength."

Slowly, more and more told their names, ages and powers. Many of them had unique abilities, much to Alfred's amazement and not two powers are alike. Like Arthur had told him before, every one of them were from countries all over the world.

Arthur kept on staring at him sceptically the whole time, trying to figure out what exactly was in his mind. Unfortunately, Alfred was famous for being an unpredictable kid among his mates and family.

Alfred waited until everyone who wanted to talk to finish speaking before proposing his plan. "Let's escape."

That alone caught the attention of every adolescent there.

"Don't you guys want to get out of all this?" he gestured around him. "All of you. Don't you want to see your families again? Or even the bright rays of sunlight?"

"Al.." Feli stood up and took his hand, his expression pained. "Please. Stop this."

"..I won't." Alfred pulled himself free. "Not after I saw him. Your brother. He's here too, isn't he?"

Feli stared at him with widened eyes. For a second, Alfred was afraid that he would make him cry all over again. But still, he went on.

"We can save them. In fact, we _need_ them. We need all the help we can get. Those of you whose siblings are here, here's your chance to see them again." He inhaled. "So what do you say? Let's work together and escape."

The adolescents shifted uncomfortably and exchanged glances among themselves. Alfred tried to read their expressions. Unsure. Doubt. That was it. They were scared. Afraid that it would fail.

"Give up the idea, Alfred," Arthur finally said. Was it just him, or did Alfred see a twinkle of hope in his eye? "It's impossible to escape."

He sounded so sure about it that Alfred almost, _almost_ believed him. Still, he held on to his resolve.

"Alright. I understand that you guys are afraid – afraid of the consequences that await us, but that's why I need all your helps. We have to succeed, whatever it takes. That way, there won't be punishment. We'll be free." He pressed on stubbornly. "All of you – all of us won't have to suffer this any longer."

Alfred glanced around, hoping to gain at least a little response. Unfortunately, no one spoke up.

"..Come on.." Alfred felt something in him shatter. He was so enthusiastic about his plan, so sure it would work. But now, that hope seemed like a thousand miles away.

Fine. He heaved a deep sigh. "Fine. You can all stay here for the rest of your lives for all I care." He clenched his fists and turned around. "Even if I have to do it alone, I'm gonna get out of this miserable place."

That said, he marched to a corner and sank down, bringing his knees to his chest. A whirlpool of emotions swirled in his heart – frustration, disappointed, loneliness and of course, rejection.

He tried to hide it, of course, but droplets of tears seemed to somehow escape his eyes. He buried his face in his knees and willed himself to stop. Crying wouldn't do anything, he knew that. Even so, he was still a child. He hated it – the confinement, the darkness, the feeling of being turned down. He _really_ hated it.

Alfred heard sounds of fabric shuffling followed by a soft thud next to him, indicating that someone had settled down there. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the last person he was expecting to see.

Arthur said nothing as he sat down and rubbed his sore wrists. It might've been exhaustion. It might've been the silence. It might've been the comfort of having someone – anyone around. Alfred never thought he would fall asleep, but he did. Unfortunately, sleep only brought him more confusion.

**xXx**

Alfred was there, yet he wasn't actually there.

He could see and hear clearly around, but when he looked down, he had no body. He was just a consciousness, a small fragment of his spirit.

Alfred was in a mansion he had never seen before. He floated (the best word he could think of was floated) in a huge living room decorated with antique furniture of all kinds. A massive plasma tv stood atop a fireplace that rivaled it in size. One side of a wall was made entirely of glass, and the view was breathtaking. A vast grassland spread under him, joining with the sea not too far off. Sitting at the foyer was a man. Alfred couldn't make out his appearance, for his back was turned but he could see that the man was young – somewhere in his early twenties. There was something about him that bothered the boy. Something Alfred couldn't quite make out.

Without thinking, he reached out, hoping to get the man's attention. But just when he was about to touch him, everything went black.

Alfred sat upright and blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. His back ached like hell from who knows how long of hunching. He glanced around and found a metal plate filled with white.. stuff placed before him.

"..That's yours." Alfred turned. Arthur was still beside him, an arm resting on one raised knee. An empty metal plate like his own lay near his feet. "Feli tried waking you during meal time but you slept like the dead. So he ended up insisting on saving yours for you."

"I'm not hungry." He really wasn't in the mood for food at that moment, but his stomach claimed otherwise.

"Yeah. And I believe you." Arthur smiled crookedly. "Eat up when you got the chance. They don't usually give much."

Slowly, Alfred gave in and picked the plate up. He scooped a spoonful into his mouth. Despite the hunger he felt, it was tasteless and bland – as if he was drinking floury water instead of eating decent solid food. Alfred downed it in several huge gulps.

"..I can't believe you actually had the nerve to say it.." Arthur muttered suddenly. Alfred lowered his plate and raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? Say what?"

"Your plan on escaping." Arthur's tone softened. "No one wanted to try again after.." He paused. Alfred immediately realized why and tried to change the topic.

"So…" he started. So what? _So what?_ "..how do you guys do the power gathering on fingertips and palm thing?"

"Eh?"

Alfred shifted his weight. "I was just thinking.. _maybe_ I could figure out my powers if I knew how to do that."

Arthur knitted his eyebrows and held out his hand. A tiny flame of darkness danced across his palm. "..It may seem easy, but it's not." He said. "Our powers flow in an endless cycle along with our lifeline. To do this," he stared at his hand. "We channel a small amount of energy and bend it to our will."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Like I said, it is actually anything _but_ easy." Arthur continued. "A fair amount to concentration is needed to keep things under control. Somehow or another, our powers are alive, and are usually very rebellious upon their first time usage for they dwell deep inside us, waiting impatiently to be unleashed. And because of inexperience, it is difficult to even draw out that buried ability. Even if you do, you would tend to overuse it and exhaust yourself in less than five minutes."

_He's talking like a freaking geezer_, Alfred thought. Then again, Arthur had probably been here long enough to see the same process being repeated again and again to learn some things from it.

"So what happens if your concentration breaks when you do it?" he asked.

To answer his question, the black flame exploded, almost smoldering Alfred's eyebrows.

"_ookay_…" Alfred took his glasses off and cleaned them with his sleeve. "All I need to do is concentrate?"

"More or less."

Alfred closed his eyes and inhaled. He tried to imagine a ball of flame, energy – whatever slowly forming on his palm. He opened his eyes, and saw no difference.

"Try harder," Arthur advised.

"I'm trying.." Alfred gritted his teeth and concentrated harder. Still no progress. Alfred almost screamed in exasperation.

"Take your time," Arthur said. "It's impossible to master this skill in such a short amount of time."

There it is again. _Impossible_.

"You really _love_ that word huh?" Alfred couldn't resist asking. That statement earned him a weird look from his companion.

"What?"

Alfred chuckled. Arthur was _so_ oblivious about it. "Nothing. I'll show you that I can do it, Arthur. Just you watch."

The Brit blinked a few times, then broke into yet another crooked smile. "I'd like to see you try."

Alfred turned back to his task. He held out his hand and closed his eyes. There must be something he was doing wrong. Something he didn't realize.

That's it. His mind. All this while he'd been thinking – thinking of so many things. Maybe that was the reason why. His mind was unconsciously distracted, preventing him from concentrating fully. He had to clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts.

Alfred took in a deep breath and pictured himself in a dark place. He looked around and something caught his eye. A tiny fragment of light. Alfred ran towards it and grabbed it, feeling its warmth and power surge into him. Then he opened his eyes.

Was it just him, or did the room become darker? He could make out Arthur staring at him disbelievingly with his mouth agape. Wait. Was the light coming from _him_?

Alfred glanced downwards, and immediately felt a mixture of excitement, happiness.. and fear. A small ball of bright yellow flame–as is molded directly light itself – flickered and danced across his palm.

Finally, Arthur found his tongue, but Alfred couldn't say he liked what he heard. "Welcome. You are officially one of us now."

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><p><strong>Phew! one down, three more to go! =D moral of story: NEVER write four fanfics at once.. <strong>

**okay... i have to admit that this fanfic is lacking the usual angst we see from heroes who just found out about their powers... I'm such a failure... QAQ**

**Anyway, excuse my mistakes. Hetalia is by no means mine. Thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally decided to update this after.. uh... *go checks* HOLYCRAP O_O I've left this alone for THAT long? **

**GAWD guys I'm sosososososo sorry! QAQ I won't be updating real fast after this either thanks to my insanely packed scheduled OTLll **

**I'm sorry again. Excuse my mistakes. Hetalia is not mine. **

**Thank you in advance for reading! **

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><p>Alfred couldn't decide whether it was all just a stupid dream or harsh reality.<p>

To make a long story short: he was kidnapped, met a bunch of superpowered kids, worked in a freaking coal mine, and then found out that he was a superpowered kid himself. Which human in their right minds would _not_ think of it all as a dream? Well, unless that particular person is left-minded, but whatever.

Alfred watched as the white flame in his hand flickered off. He blinked as his eyes readjusted to the lighting around him and stared at his palm. This should not be happening.

"How could this be?" Alfred ran his hand across his forehead in exasperation. "I'm pretty sure my ancestry is a 100% mortal."

"Bloodline does not have a thing to do with us having powers," Arthur spoke up for the first time since Alfred's display of his Gift. The corners of his mouth were turned down into a deep frown. Apparently, the idea of Alfred having powers bothered even him. "Kids like us are known as the "Gifted" for a reason. We are blessed – or cursed, depending on how one sees it – with these special abilities."

"Oh joy.."Alfred mumbled.

"So do you still want to stick to your escape plan? Knowing that you're one of us now," Arthur said. "This place might be the only sanctuary in the world for people like us, you know."

"Are you kidding me?" Alfred gave him a coy smile. "Which part of this place looks like a freaking sanctuary to you?"

"You don't even know where we are," the Brit said. "Much less where to go."

Memories of his dream of the man in the huge house flashed in Alfred's mind – the breathtaking scenery outside the window, the size of the living room alone, the warmth of the fire in the fireplace.

"I might not know where we are," Alfred looked straight into Arthur's eyes. "But I'm pretty certain that I know where we should go."

He told Arthur his dream.

The British boy's frown deepened. "I've heard many stories from the guards over the years, but none of them seem to relate to what you just said. It might have been just another dream, Alfred."

"It isn't," Alfred insisted. "I'm sure it meant something. I can feel it. That's where we need to go."

Arthur stared at him, his expression unreadable. Alfred could swear he could see the gears turning in his head, thinking of the thousands of possibilities that lie ahead.

"Do what you want," Arthur finally said and walked away. Alfred exhaled and leaned against the wall, staring blankly ahead. Everyone else was sleeping, not peacefully, but fitfully enough.

Alfred brought his palm out and willed for a ball of light again.

**xXx**

"Wakey-wakey you little twerps!" a man's voice boomed in the chamber, his face twisted with mockery. Alfred unintentionally groaned as he slowly woke up, rubbing his eyes in attempt to drive the sleep away. He had no idea when he'd fell asleep again, but that didn't matter. He repositioned his glasses and stood up, willing himself to be awake. Alfred knew he couldn't afford to lose any more time.

The blue-eyed adolescent calmly let himself be shackled and led to the coal mine. Alfred no longer felt confused, which was a little strange since it was only his second day there. Alfred's attention was all around: the tiny crack on the wall, the keys on the guard's belt, the chained up door across the hallway, the dark open chambers they'd walked passed.

Alfred made sure he could remember it all to the very last detail.

After a while, he let his gaze wander around until he saw the other group of adolescents walking towards them from the opposing direction. Alfred noticed Feli's brother huddled close to an older boy with olive green eyes, dark messy brown hair, and slightly tanned skin.

He stole a glance at his Italian friend. Feli had darkish bags under his puffy eyes, but was otherwise looking fine. Alfred silently vowed that he would reunite the brothers, even if it's the last thing he did.

With that in mind, he stopped at his assigned station and began working half-heartedly. While his arms moved, he'd once again let his attention focus elsewhere. He noticed the window high above them, but it was impossible to reach it without a huge ladder, or the power to fly.

Then there was the trapdoor on the floor, sealed with a thick padlock, but thankfully not wielded shut. Alfred smiled. A possibility.

But he knew he needed plan B's. He gazed around some more, his attention suddenly attracted to Arthur's station. Alfred could've kicked himself for being slow. Right next to the British boy, was a tunnel. The lighting was dim as the only illumination available was several torches, but Alfred could a set of frails, as well as a wooden trolley for carrying coals to the outside world. It had never crossed Alfred's mind that the results of their slavery would be used as the masterminds' money income. If there was a way out, Alfred was sure this was it.

Now he just had to find a way for them to get out of their cells and reach there without being caught.

Alfred figured his face must be showing it pretty obviously, because he got smacked roughly on the head by a guard while he was busy thinking.

"Wondering how you can escape through that, four eyes?" the man sneered. "Fat chance. There's a bunch of our people the whole way. You brats won't be able to even make it halfway through.

_Says you,_ Alfred thought, but said nothing. Without another word, he readjusted his grip on the shovel and got back to his work.

**xXx**

Alfred spent less time sleeping and more time plotting ever since he'd discovered the escape route. He would either sit in his corner staring off into space while his mind worked, or practice using his powers until he felt that he'd finally got a little hang of it.

Soon Alfred had dark bags under his eyes. His eyesight was becoming worst and his glasses needed to be changed. Alfred asked Kiku if he could help him with his glasses, but the quiet boy shook his head apologetically.

"I can't make one without knowing how bad it is," Kiku had explained.

Alfred could've screamed with frustration right there. He couldn't believe his plans would be ruined just because of some glasses – until Feli offered to try and help. With Feli's healing powers, Alfred's eyesight improved back to how they were when he'd arrived there. The Italian also offered to heal it completely, but Alfred told him not to. Just getting them back to how they were before made Feli pale and sweating. Alfred knew Feli's powers drained him too much.

Alfred's determination to escape slowly inspired the others as time passed. Feli and Kiku – of course – were the first ones to agree to work with him to escape together. It took a little longer for the others to warm up to him, but eventually almost everyone in their batch were in it. Soon everyone was planning strategies and practicing their powers. Alfred noted down his comrades' Gifts and cracked his mind to see which part they could help out in.

The process was taking a painfully long time, but Alfred pushed the thought out of his mind. _Patience is always the key_, he kept on reminding himself.

He couldn't concentrate in his mining work, and was often punished for it by being locked up somewhere else and beaten by the guards or not given his meals. Sometimes, Alfred suffered both. But he gritted his teeth and took it all quietly without complaints, constantly telling himself it would soon be okay, it would fine as soon as they carry out their escape plans.

Fortunately despite his continuous times of spacing out during work, the guards did not suspect anything. They've been doing their job long enough to know how the adolescents would be once they get used to their life as slaves. Alfred had an advantage over that, at least.

Before long, even the other batch of adolescents were notified of Alfred's escape plan. Wan Mei, a quiet Asian girl whom Alfred knew through Kiku, had the ability to transmit her voice into people's mind without having to talk. She had agreed to help inform some of the older teens over there and ask them to spread the news as soon as she sees them.

The next time the two groups bumped into each other, Mei had delivered the message to the green eyed boy whom Feli's brother was always with, a muscular blonde boy with light blue eyes, and a few others Alfred had helped picked out. Their first reactions when they heard were stares of utter surprise and disbelief, but at the following day, they'd nodded grimly at Alfred to show that they've approved of the plan.

Alfred had never felt so proud in his life. He was on the road to becoming a hero, a dream he had since he was a kid. It was childish, Alfred was often told, but he'd never listened. Now he really was going to be a hero, but of course; he might be the one leading the escape, but he needed the help of his comrades. Alfred knew he couldn't survive alone.

Weeks passed, and Alfred was sure they were ready. Everyone had spent all the free time they had vigorously trying to get a hang of their powers. It was challenging, for they had to do everything without making a sound or else the guards outside would come bursting in and finding out all about their plans. Arthur did the supervision, as he had been there the longest and was the only one who'd actually mastered his Gift. Feli's condition was slowly getting from bad to worse, since he'd insisted to train with everyone else. Alfred kept an eye on him every time they practiced, making sure he did not push himself too much.

Alfred himself was slowly starting to understand his powers. He extracts fragments of light from his surroundings, compiling them into a single ball of energy. Arthur's powers were the complete opposite. Arthur extracts fragments of darkness from his surroundings. One thing similar about their Gifts is that they could then shape those balls of energy, morphing it to anything, even swords or wings.

When light is removed, there is darkness. When darkness is removed, there is light. It might seem like an unending cycle, but both boys had never dared to try using their powers at the same time. They had both came up with a hypothesis that if they did, there would be only nothingness left behind and probably something really bad would happen.

The big night came. Mining duties were especially tiring that day. Alfred wasn't sure if it was just his anxiety, but work seemed to drag on forever.

_Maybe they know_, a nagging voice echoed at the back of his mind. _Shut up_, he thought. _Be positive._

Alfred had ordered everyone to sleep after that to avoid them from falling from exhaustion during the escape mission. It might seem like too much to ask, but he wanted every one of them to be able to make it out alive. No one must be left behind. Not after what they've all went through.

Even so, Alfred couldn't sleep. He sat in his usual corner, staring blankly at the empty floor in front of him. His brain was being hyperactive about the whole escaping thing and his heart was beating up a storm – and all those didn't exactly help him sleep. Alfred took in deep breaths to calm his heart. He could not panic. He _must_ not panic or it could be his downfall later.

The blue-eyed boy felt a presence sink down on the spot next to him and turned. Arthur ran his fingers through his tousled blonde hair and sighed. Alfred stared at him.

"Nervous?" the Brit asked, not looking at his companion.

"It's that obvious?"

Arthur shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Easy for you to say."

"You're not doing this alone, Alfred," Arthur did look at him now. "Don't forget that you've got us to guarding your back."

Alfred swept his gaze over his friends; some peacefully asleep, some seemed to be just resting. Arthur was right. He needn't worry. They could do this. It was two huge groups of superpowered kids against god-knows how many mortal guards. What could go wrong? Some of Alfred's confidence returned.

"Thanks Arthur," Alfred flashed him a grin.

"Hmph," A smile tugged Arthur's lips as well, but he managed to keep a somewhat straight face. But it soon faded as silence fell upon them. Then the boy stood up.

"It's time," he announced.

Alfred threw his head back and breathed out a long, slow breath. He then too, got on his feet. Together with the Brit, he woke their friends one by one; whispering to their ears and shaking them gently to avoid making too much noise. It was a slow process as their numbers were not little, but Alfred had decided that it was better to not take the risk.

Alfred stood in front of the group assembled before him about ten minutes later, studying the faces of the comrades that he'd come to know so well over the time that'd passed. Despite being woken up from their sleep not that long ago, everyone looked grim and determined.

"Tonight is the night," he said, just loud enough for the silent group to hear. "We've gone through a lot, but we'll get out. I promise you guys that we'll survive this and escape."

A few nods.

"Believe in yourselves and trust each other," Alfred continued. "It's one for all and all for one – remember that, all of you. Fight this battle bravely, and victory and freedom is ours!"

He smiled a confident smile and raised his fist into the air, his friends following suit.

And the escape mission started.


	4. Chapter 4

**I have not been updating this for so long, I'm ashamed of myself. OTL**

**but anyway, here's the 4th chapter :D I'm sorry I made those of you who are following this wait that long. **

**I'm also sorry to say that the next update too, will take some time to be completed. School isn't exactly giving me allowances. **

**Excuse my mistakes. **

**Hetalia does not belong to me. **

**Thank you in advance for reading! Enjoy! **

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><p>Breaking the lock was easy. Getting pass the guards took some effort. Finding the exit was nearly impossible.<p>

Alfred shook his head to clear his thoughts. Nothing is impossible.

After that short motivational speech, Alfred had declared the start of their exit mission. He knelt down before the door, feeling dozens of eyes staring in anxiety behind him. Alfred couldn't blame them. After all the effort, it would be utterly depressing to be shut down by a mere piece of wood.

Alfred knew he failed at many things, but he wasn't going to fail this.

Alfred held up his hand, and willed for a ball of light. A sphere of brightness appeared at the tip of his index finger as the room turned darker. Alfred concentrated, morphing that sphere into something shaped like a small penknife. He then inched his finger forward, sliding his light into the small gap between the door and its frame. He swallowed, and flicked his finger.

The tension broke as soon as they heard the soft click. The door was open.

Alfred glanced back at his friends, their confident and determined faces giving him courage. He nodded once at them, and carefully pushed the door open, going about a centimeter per hour. They had to be silent or it'll be all over, Alfred knew that. He cautiously peered out of the tiny crack he made, straining his eyes to see whether or not are guards present.

The hallway was dark as always, the flames of limited number of torches flickering every 12 feet in their sockets on the wall. Alfred focused, listening for any other sounds after seeing no one in his line of sight. He doubted the security was that bad. Sure enough, his sharp ears immediately picked up the sound of someone snoring somewhere down the right side of the hallway when the door was blocking his view.

Alfred huffed nervously before he took a bold step outside. He flinched instinctively, half expecting to be grabbed somewhere and hauled back into their prison. But nothing touched him. Alfred silently motioned his friends to join him outside.

They were all gathered when the guard - to Alfred's horror - stirred from his sleep.

The blue-eyed boy almost panicked, but his friends were more than prepared for such circumstances. Elizaveta strode forward in several quick steps, closing a hand into a fist. Before the man could even react to what he saw, she punched him in the gut, knocking the daylights out of him. From the calculations they'd made some time ago, that should keep the poor guy unconscious for at least a few hours. Dragging him and locking him in their cell, they proceeded ahead.

"..Hey," Arthur said as Alfred fell in line next to him. "You okay?"

Alfred noticed that he was sweating up a storm though they'd barely taken twenty steps outside their cell.

He ran the back of his hand over his brow. "Yeah. Probably."

Arthur gave him a strange look, but otherwise said nothing else. The group forged forward, silent as mice. The flicker of flames casted strange shadows across the walls and floor as they moved. Alfred couldn't help feeling suspicious and paranoid. So far they'd only encountered one guard. Was it suppose to be _that_ easy?

Alfred shook his head. He shouldn't think like that. He had to be aware, guard or not.

And suddenly, he was grabbed by the collar and jerked backwards.

"Idiot..!" Arthur's voice hissed next to his ear.

Alfred blinked, soon realizing his near fatal mistake. They had entered another hallway, this one leading to the armory. Two armored men sat by either side of the door leading to the chamber, and Alfred had almost waltzed right into them.

_Snap out of it_, Alfred told himself. _Focus_.

Alfred glanced at his teammates, silently exchanging a quick plan. Fortunately, they've carefully sorted everything out earlier and everyone understood what he was intending to do.

The rest of the group retreated several steps as Arthur went forward to stand beside the American boy. Alfred inhaled once and concentrated, weaving the light around them into a sphere the size of a baseball. Darkness instantly befell them.

Alfred inhaled as he heard the guards standing up in astonishment, blaming each other for putting out the flames. He heard the clanking of their heavy armor as they walked towards them.

Alfred counted silently. _One. Two. Three.._

"What the-"

Alfred released his concentration. The ball of light in his palm exploded, blinding anyone who had their eyes open - except Arthur. The green-eyed boy had swiftly formed some kind of sunglasses-like thing from darkness to shield his eyes, making him the only one who could see while Alfred's Gift was still having its effect. He shot forward with great agility, jumped, and kicked both the men square on the chest, sending them down on their butts. Arthur needn't use much strength. The heavy armors were on their side.

Before the guards could get up and regain their bearings, Elizaveta lunged forward, pushing them both flat on the ground with her immense strength. Yao soon joined her, producing a chain he'd managed to smuggle from under the folds of his ragged clothes. He seemed to rip the thing into two pieces, but Alfred had seen the Chinese boy use his Gift. He was duplicating the thing on the spot.

Alfred had to admit. That ability was darn handy.

Alfred whistled, signaling the clear coast as he knelt down, his hands working swiftly as he chained up the guard's arms behind their back before moving to restrain their ankles. Arthur worked on the other man, making loops that were impossible to untangle.

Kiku led the rest of the Gifted towards the armory. The door was locked, but he'd already expected that. He lifted his hand and touched the padlock, and it broke into five separate pieces. Kiku had discovered that his powers did not only allow him to assemble things, but to disassemble them too - though it needed a cool-down each time he uses it. After that trick, Kiku would not be able to take anything apart for another 30 minutes or so.

He and a few others barged into the chamber, quickly picking up heavy weapons and carefuly arranging them in a manner where it would be a chain of death traps the next time the door was to be opened. As soon as they got out, Elizaveta dragged the guards they'd just assaulted over and shoved them in with a huff. She slammed the door close and Kiku slid the newly modified padlock into place. That should buy them some time if anything happens.

Alfred gave them a grin and a thumbs up when they rejoined the group, but the moment did not last long. He knew this was just the beginning. Things would not be as easy later.

They continued moving with Alfred leading the way. They slipped through several guarded hallways without much problem since most of them just sat there snoring away.

It seemed to take forever, but they finally reached their second destination. Like their own, the door leading to the other batch of Gifted kids' chamber was guarded. Using the same trick they'd used against those of the armory, they quickly overwhelmed him.

"..We're here," Mei closed her eyes and projected her voice, hoping that it will reach those inside. "Come on out."

There was a pause of silence as everyone held their breath. Then there came a few clicks, and the door was warily pushed open. Slowly, the other group trickled out.

As soon as Feli saw his brother among them, he wasted no time thinking. He leaped forward and tackled the boy in a crushing hug, muttering something in rapid Italian. Tears of indescribable joy spilled down his cheeks. His brother lightly chided him in English, but otherwise looked just as happy and teary-eyed.

Alfred could feel his own eyes going misty from watching them, but he blinked hard. This wasn't the time. He turned to the boy with startling blue-eyes and held out his hand.

"I'm Alfred," he said. "Nice to finally meet you."

The other boy nodded before taking his hand. "Same here," he said in a slightly accented voice. "I'm Ludwig."

Brief introductions were made. Feli's brother was Lovino. The slightly tanned boy he always hangs around with was Antonio. The tall guy with the purple eyes and somewhat scary smile was Ivan.

"So I guess you guys already know the plan?" Alfred said, adjusting his glasses. The group nodded grimly.

"Good," Alfred smiled. "Let's head to the mining area."

**xXx**

It wasn't hard to find their way to the mining area. Heck, Alfred could've made it there blindfolded - not that he wanted to try - for he'd been feverishly memorizing the way each time they were brought there.

The group emerged from the hallway into big open space. Though accustomed to the dimness, Alfred's eyes could make out nothing. The darkness seemed unending, spreading all around them. Alfred shivered involuntarily. Everything felt strangely eerie without the clanking of tools and rude shouts of men.

Alfred felt Arthur nudging him, cocking his chin straight ahead. The blue-eyed boy followed his comrade's gaze, and saw the small illumination amidst the darkness.

This was the most dangerous part. That illumination was the direction they needed to head for in order to gain freedom and that place was heavily guarded. One mistake will lead to failure, and Alfred had absolutely no intention of doing that. They were going to make it out. Each and every one of them.

Even if it kills him.

"..Are they any traps?" Alfred whispered. His powers had no use here, and he dared not ask Arthur to use his as sudden brightening of lightning without sources of illumination would bring up suspicion to anyone in their right minds. "Anyone here has Gifts that extends to night-vision or something like that?"

Everyone shook their heads glumly.

"Shall I light the way?" Antonio, who's Gift was fire-manipulation, offered cheerily in his fading Spanish accent.

"That might as well just tell the whole world we're here," Alfred said before breaking into a sigh. "I guess we're just gonna have to take the risk."

They were all reluctant, but no one had a better plan.

"Let's all hold hands," Feli suggested before they mustered their courage to forge ahead. "It won't be as scary that way."

No one argued. They smiled and grinned to one another as they latched their hands together - just to boost their confidence. They can do this.

It was just as Alfred had said back in their cell. All for one, and one for all.

"Ready?" Alfred whispered, stealing a quick glance at Arthur - who, nodded back with a small smile. "Let's go guys!"

Once swallowed by the choking blackness of his surroundings, Alfred could feel his bravery faltering. But when he felt Feli squeezing his fingers, he steeled his nerves. He _wasn't_ afraid. Not of this stupid darkness.

They were half way through when Ludwig suddenly halted to a stop, tugging the rest to follow suit.

"Wait-" he started to say, but it was too late. Illumination flashed to life, and sounds of dozens of footsteps reverberated in the silence. Guards trickled into formation as a hidden alarm blared to life.

Alfred bit back a very frustrated curse. The moment came faster than he'd expected.

They were surrounded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Once again, I apologize for the insanely late update. I'm really taking my time with this lol **

**Thank you so much for those who are reading and following this derpy story! QAQ And thank you for waiting for me to update OTL**

**I guess I have nothing else to say. Derp. Hetalia is not mine. Excuse my mistakes. Thanks for reading!**

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><p>Alfred chewed on his lower lip as he and his teammates backed up against each other.<p>

Several dozen armored men surrounded the group, armed with a variety of weapons. They didn't look happy. They kept pressing forward.

Alfred struggled to keep his cool. His heartbeat was crazy. For half a second, he wanted to give up. There was no way they could beat so many of them. They could get hurt. They might even get killed accidentally.

_What are you thinking, Alfred?_ He chided himself. _It's already too late to turn back._ They would only suffer severe punishments if they got caught.

Alfred breathed in, a drop of sweat trailing down the side of his face. _Two more steps_, he timed. _One more.._

"Now!" he barked.

The guards charged towards them, weapons at ready. Antonio held out his hand, and a column of flames erupted on the ground, forming a ring around them. The guards quickly backed off. Fire might not do much damage to them with their thick armor, but it could still bake them inside. They were clearly not keen to try it.

The temperature suddenly seemed to drop at least twenty degrees. Contrary to the Spanish boy's hot flames, a sheet of frost spread behind them. A dozen guards found themselves frozen solid.

That was so cool. Literally. Alfred dared to glance around, wondering who's Gift that was. His eyes locked with Ivan's purple ones. The Russian boy was smiling.

Alfred shivered - not just from the cold. He decided to never mess with Ivan when they get out.

Chaos broke out. Several guards broke into their protective ring, ignoring the burning flames. Alfred and his companions charged forward to meet their attack, not at all bothered by the raging fire. Alfred dodged a sword swinging his way. He ducked low, curled his hand into a fist, and landed it as hard as he could onto the man's stomach.

He swore he heard his knuckle crack. He let out a not-so heroic whimper. The guard was unfazed and lifted his weapon for another strike.

Alfred tried for the easier way. He drew his leg back, and kicked the poor guy's soft spot for all he was worth.

The man dropped his weapon and crumpled on his knees. Alfred picked the sword up by the hilt and shouted to be heard over the noise.

"Try not to kill them! Only take their weapons! Stay together!"

Those who possessed far-ranged Gifts dealt with the army of guards behind them. The rest formed a protective circle around those who possessed non-combat Gifts like Feli and Mei. .

Arthur proved to be really skilled in using a spear. He brandished the thing in his arms and lunged forward, daring anyone to cross his path. Alfred never thought a frail boy like Arthur would even be able to lift such a heavy weapon, but Arthur handled it with such skill, he wondered if this wasn't the first time he'd use it.

Yao had awesome kung fu-like moves. He'd picked up some guy's dagger and was using it with surprising agility. Kiku was swinging a sword around like a very pissed off samurai. Vash, a Swiss boy no older than Alfred himself who had the Gift of sniping, was doing a very good job disabling the guards by aiming arrow after arrow at their knees. Elizaveta pwned anyone who stood within five feet.

Their advance towards the exit was slower than Alfred had expected. More guards kept coming. Alfred was starting to feel tired, and he knew it wasn't any different with the others. Their movements were starting to get sloppy. Their clothes were drenched with sweat. Antonio's flames were weakening. Ivan's ice were melting. They needed to end it fast.

"Ludwig," Alfred fell in line with the German boy, parrying off a sword with his. "Do you think you can open a path for us with your Gift?"

Sweat trickled down the other boy's face. " For how long?"

"Just long enough for us to reach the rails," Alfred licked his cracked lips. "Maybe about 5 minutes."

Ludwig was silent in thought for a while before he made up his mind. "Alright."

He sank deeper into the group, passing the metal pole he was holding to Feli. He then turned to face the road ahead. Ludwig inhaled deeply, focusing his concentration. He held up his hands, palms facing outwards and made a widening motion as if pushing two sides back.

Alfred felt wind ripping through his already messy hair as the guards in front were forcefully parted to form a path. The armored men struggled in vain against the invisible force holding them back. Ludwig dropped to his knees, clearly exhausted.

Alfred bent down and slung Ludwig's arm over his shoulder. "Run!"

Antonio unleashed one last blast of flames to stop the guards following them from behind. He staggered and almost tripped as he rejoined the group, but Feli's brother, Lovino caught him in time to drag him with them, muttering a string of curses under his breath about how heavy the Spanish boy is.

They charged forward. Alfred had taken part in three-legged races before during Sports Day in school, but dragging a half unconscious boy taller than himself for about a hundred meters was another story. That trick had drained Ludwig too much of his energy. He could barely even stand, let alone run.

But Alfred refused to leave anyone behind. They were going to make it out together.

Lovino pushed forward, panting. Curious as he'd last seen him carrying Antonio, Alfred turned, wondering if the older Italian twin had actually abandoned the poor guy. But Antonio was running along with them just fine, though he did look a little pale.

Wait. As best as he could, Alfred racked his brain. What was Lovino's Gift again? He was sure it was pretty similar to Feli's.

He got his answer when the Italian boy rested his hand on Ludwig's shoulder. Lovino closed his eyes and focused, emitting a faint glow from his palm. Ludwig shuddered a bit, and then he looked up. The determined glint in his eyes had returned.

Right. Lovino's Gift removed fatigue.

"You sure you're okay?" Alfred panted when the German boy retracted his arm. Ludwig shook his head as if clearing the cobwebs in his brain before nodding.

"_Ja_." He turned to Feli's brother. "And thank you."

Lovino refused to look his way, but he muttered a soft "You're welcome" under his breath.

Alfred couldn't help but smile crookedly. What a weird guy.

"This is strange," Arthur muttered from the American's side. Alfred averted his gaze towards him, raising his eyebrows.

"The rails," Arthur seemed to have read his mind. "It's not guarded."

It took a while for Alfred to process what he'd just heard. They were nearing their destination. Only a few feet more. But there were no guards. No armored men threatening to rip their throats from their necks.

"No time to think," Alfred said, feeling Ludwig's wind barrier crumble. "Just run!"

And they stumbled forward, running for dear life as the guards once again set themselves on their heels.

**xXx**

All was well. Until they heard the gunshots.

Alfred did some creative cursing. Old style weapons they could handle, but firearms? Not so much.

A bullet zipped past his ear by a millimeter. Alfred gulped, but otherwise ignored it. They had to keep running. The dimly lit tunnel seemed to go on forever. Alfred's legs were burning. His lungs screamed for oxygen. More bullets flew past. Alfred prayed hard that all of them went stray and hit no one.

"They're catching up!" Antonio warned from behind. "Are we there yet!?"

"I don't know!" Alfred yelled back, failing to hide the worry in his voice. "Shouldn't there be a trolley of some kind since they're using the rails to move the coal and all that?"

"By right, yes," Arthur spoke up right next to him. He'd been so silent, Alfred had forgotten he was there. "But even if we find them, there won't be enough space to fit all of us. We'll have to split up."

"No way," Alfred immediately objected. "We're getting out together."

A dry smile graced Arthur's features at that. "Then shut up and run. The real challenge of escaping has yet to come."

Alfred had no idea what the Brit meant by that, but he figured he would faint on the spot if he kept on talking. The constant running was already making him lightheaded. Strands of his honey-blond hair were sticking to the sides of his face. Sweat stung his eyes. His willpower was crumbling.

Just when Alfred was standing at the edge of the pit of despair, he saw light ahead. Not light as in the shine of hope or anything, but light as in blinding brightness. It wasn't anything manmade, and it wasn't the yellowish lights of flames.

Alfred caught his breath. It was sunlight.

"We're almost there!" he shouted to the others, feeling their spirits lift. "Just a little-"

Time seemed to slow down. Alfred watched as a black blur sailed past their heads. His brain was short-circuiting, but he managed to understand the situation.

"Get down!" he heard Arthur scream.

The grenade exploded. Alfred and his companions reflexively dropped to their knees, covering their ears and shutting their eyes tightly. In that split second, Arthur had erected a dome of darkness around them, shielding them from the debris and the impact of the explosion. They held their breath, feeling the ground shake under their feet.

"..Is anyone hurt?" Alfred spoke up when everything had calmed down. He saw his companions shaking their heads. Alfred knew he was supposed to feel relieved, but dread weighed his heart. That explosion had destroyed their path, blocking the tunnel with boulders that were impossible to lift. Alfred hit the ground with his fist, ignoring the pain that surged up his arm right after.

They've lost their escape route. They were trapped.

**xXx**

"Alfred," Arthur spoke up, breaking the choking silence that was beginning to form. The boy in question did not respond. "Snap out of it, you bloody git!"

Arthur's temper flared up when he was once again ignored. He grabbed Alfred by the collar of his tattered shirt.

"You're giving up _now_ of all times?" Arthur demanded, not caring if he was making a scene. "You got our hopes up on escaping and now you're like this just because we're stopped by a couple of bloody boulders!?"

"Artie.." Feli tried to intervene, but Arthur was not in the mood to listen to anyone.

"_Answer me, Al_!" Arthur almost shouted, shaking the American boy's shoulders. Alfred refused to meet his gaze.

"..I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to help, you idiot!" Arthur struggled to resist the urge to punch his companion. "We're almost there. We can't give up yet."

His voice quavered at the last word. That caught Alfred's attention. He blinked, finally daring to lock eyes with Arthur. Arthur was being strong for everyone's sake, but Alfred saw desperation in those emerald orbs. What Feli told him when they first met rang in his ears.

_He'd tried many_many_times to escape, but all in vain. Eventually, he completely gave up._

Alfred felt like someone had just gave him a slap upside the head. What was he doing? A hero does not simply give up just because he is forced to overcome a hurdle. A hero will not let the people depending on him down. Alfred swept his gaze around, studying the grim faces of his companions. He'd expected them to look crestfallen, but they were all staring back at him, expressions full of hope. They believed in him. They believed that he would lead them to freedom.

Alfred could not - _will_ not, let them down.

"Arthur's right," Alfred inhaled. "We can't give up."

His comrades' faces seemed to brighten up. The tension in the air lessened.

"I'm sorry," Alfred apologized once more. "I shouldn't have lost hope so easily. We're going to escape and that's that." He turned to Arthur. "How long is this," he gestured at the dome of darkness, "going to last?"

Arthur stared at him, mildly surprised with his rapid recovery. "10 minutes at best."

Alfred smiled. That's more than enough. He turned to the others. "Listen. At my mark, Arthur's barrier will blow up, pushing back the guards that had probably surrounded us by now and hopefully loosening the placement of the rocks. At that moment, I want you guys to work together and create an opening to cross to the other side."

"Then.. what about you?" Elizaveta inquired, noticing that Alfred had not included himself in the plan.

Alfred stood up and grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I'll hold them back."

"But it's going to take us some time to move the boulders," Feli reasoned. "Even you might not be able to hold for that long!"

"I'll be fine," Alfred said, his grin not wavering. He stood facing away from the blocked path. "Ready, everyone?"

He didn't look back, but he felt his friends nodding behind him. Alfred took in a deep breath.

"Do it, Arthur."

The dome exploded. Alfred's companions scrambled to their feet and ran behind him, hauling any dazed guards out of the way. Using the chaos as an advantage, Alfred focused. He held out both his hands.

The guards charged forward, swiftly regaining their bearings. They were aiming straight at the American, until they hit a solid wall of blinding light. Black spots danced in Alfred's eyes from the impact, but he held his concentration. He absolutely will not let himself waver.

Making an opening in a pile of rubble and boulders was easier said than done. The Gifted teens were all exhausted, for one thing. They'd been running for god-knows how long, and their stamina was not everlasting. Still, they refused to give up.

"We'll have to be careful," Kiku warned as they pondered whether to just blast the thing down with their Gifts or move the boulders one by one. "Or it will collapse on top of us."

"Starting from the top then?" Antonio suggested, scratching his head.

"Too much time," Ludwig glanced behind. Alfred's expression was tight with concentration. Sweat beaded his forehead. "Alfred can't last that long."

Arthur was silent in thought for a moment. "Ivan."

The tall Russian boy regarded him sideways. "Yes?"

"Do you think you can make a frozen patch wide enough for three of us to go through at a time?"

Ivan studied the pile before them. "..I can try."

While Ivan worked, Arthur turned to Ludwig. "Can you morph the air into a blade sharp enough to cut through that?" He pointed at the pile. "I could do it myself but since Alfred's using his Gift…"

He needn't finish that thought. Everyone knew they daren't use the Gifts of light and darkness at the same time.

Ludwig furrowed his brows. "I guess so."

" I guess I'll be the one to push the block of frozen stone out of the way?" Elizaveta spoke up, flexing her shoulders.

Arthur nodded. "We'll help you."

"Thanks," Despite her headstrong personality, Elizaveta knew her limits. "I'm going to need that."

From where he stood, Alfred was vaguely aware of what his friends were doing. The hairs on his back stood up from the cold emitted from Ivan's gift. For one second, Alfred had difficulty inhaling, and he almost panicked. But he soon realized that it was only Ludwig manipulating air.

Alfred staggered as another group of guards charged his wall of light. His arm ached. His vision was blurring. His consciousness was slipping.

No_. Not yet_. Alfred bit his lip hard. He will not give up again.

Meanwhile, Ludwig had successfully cut the frozen boulders. He and Ivan stood back while the others took their positions. Arthur and the others pressed their shoulders against the smooth surface, ignoring the cold that seeped through the thin material of the rags they wore.

"Heave ho!"

And they pushed for all they were worth. Even with Elizaveta's strength, it was difficult to move the frozen block. The veins on their necks stood out as they strained to make it move. Arthur was sure he would dislocate his shoulder soon enough.

With one last mighty push and a loud yell of defiance, the block of frozen boulders budged. The momentum it gained helped more than the strength of Arthur and the others. It slid out easily, leaving a rectangular hole.

Judging from the cheers, Alfred guessed they did it. He shouted over his shoulder; "You guys go first! I'll be right behind!"

His companions did not argue. They slipped through warily, afraid that the boulders would suddenly crumble and bury them. Fortunately, nothing of that sort happened. The other side was clear of guards, too.

"Alfred!" Arthur called over, being the last one to go. "Come on!"

Alfred wasn't sure he could do that. His legs were stiff. He was so tired. Maintaining that barrier was taking his all.

"..You stupid git!" He felt Arthur pulling his arm, dragging him along. "Don't just stand there."

"The barrier," Alfred managed. "It's not gonna last.."

"We're not stupid, Alfred," Arthur sighed, but otherwise had a crooked smile on his face. "We _know_."

And as if on cue, the wall of light disappeared, and the place seemed brighter. Many guards tripped, not expecting the sudden disappearance of the force that was holding them back. It was looked slightly comical for some reason. But they recovered soon enough, charging towards the boys.

Arthur did not bother to make another wall. The distance between them was enough. The others were ready when he and Alfred slipped through. The block was pushed back into place before the guards could reach them. Ivan covered the area around the block with a sheet of ice about an inch thick. Yao duplicated the block right behind the original one, in case they'd manage to break through.

Alfred was exhausted. His legs gave out under him, but Arthur held on to his arm to keep him from falling. Lovino walked over to help, but Alfred held up a hand to stop him. He was sure the Italian boy was tired too, since he had been using his Gift almost constantly to help the others.

"Fine then," Arthur bend down, slinging Alfred's arms over his shoulders. He circled his own arms under his heels, keeping him from falling. And he stood up, carrying Alfred on his back. Despite his frail looks, Arthur was strong - Alfred had to admit once more.

"Rest for now," he told Alfred. "We'll wake you once we make it outside."

And with that, they ran towards the sunlight.


	6. Chapter 6

**I AM FINALLY UPDATING /shot**

**erp. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE FOLLOWS AND FAVES AND REVIEWS! ;;A;; I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD ACTUALLY GAIN THAT MANY /shot**

**capslockrageftw/shotdead**

**I have nothing else to say other than sorry excuses for why I'm updating this so late, and why I feel that I've disappointed you guys in the first part. therefore, I shall now shut up. **

**excuse my mistakes. Hetalia is not mine. Enjoy!**

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><p>Wind rippled through his hair. Alfred struggled to open his eyes. The musty air was gone, he realized, replaced by a fresh breeze. And it was no longer cold. A gentle kind of warmth was spreading over him.<p>

Alfred's eyes finally snapped open, and he immediately regretted it. The sudden brightness of his surroundings painfully blinded him.

Wait. _Brightness? Wind? Warmth?_ Alfred opened his eyes once more, slowly this time. Instead of the stone walls he was expecting to see, he was surrounded by trees and greenery. They were in some kind of clearing in a forest. A bright blue sky spread overhead complete with fluffy clouds and a cheerful sun.

Alfred would've spent his whole day staring in disbelief if Arthur hadn't decided to intervene.

"Snap out of it, Alfred," the Brit hissed. Somehow, he knew Alfred was awake without even having to look.

Alfred blinked, trying to return to reality. He jumped off Arthur's back and almost stumbled. His legs were still shaking. He took in a deep breath and willed them to stop. It made little difference.

"We have to hurry," Arthur said grimly, raising his arms and stretching. Carrying the American wasn't exactly an easy feat. "Those guards won't stay behind that pile of boulders forever."

He needn't continue. Alfred knew they were all counting on him, but his brain was conveniently short-circuiting. He couldn't think. His instincts weren't working. "Uhh.."

_Right_. So passing out wasn't exactly the best idea in the world.

"Alfred!" Arthur looked ready to gut him right then right there.

"Wait," Ludwig spoke up before he could. "Something's wrong."

He received lots of weary stares.

"The air," he continued. "It's too still."

Before anyone could give a proper reaction, something whizzed past the side of his face, barely missing by an inch. It flew towards the direction of the forest, but when it reached the spot where the grass of the clearing met with the sandy ground of the woods, it burst into flames and disintegrated into ashes.

"A barrier," Alfred gulped. He had to pull himself together. He forced down the panic rising in his chest. They'd made it this far. He was not going to give up again. Not here, not now. There _must_ be some way out. A hole or something.

"Breeze," he muttered, eyes widening as realization hit him. He remembered feeling it when he was half conscious. "There was a breeze just now."

But where did it come from? Even when his mind was much clearer, Alfred couldn't recall.

The ground shook under their feet. The Gifted exchanged nervous glances among themselves. That did not sound good.

"..You think they'd exploded themselves in?" Alfred questioned wistfully. He'd intended to keep a cheery tone, but that came out sounding more like a squeak. He and his friends were exhausted from all the running, fighting and excitement. If there was to be another army of guards after them, Alfred wasn't sure they would be as lucky to survive again.

"No," Arthur just _had_ to confirm his fears. Droplets of sweat trailed down the side of his face. "They're coming."

The group glanced around, searching for any possible signs for an opening in the invisible barrier. None of them were looking forward to be turned into charcoal, but none of them wanted to be confined to those dark, cold cells again either. They had all decided that they just had to escape no matter what.

Because if they were to be caught again.. no, forget about it.

"_Come on_," Alfred gritted his teeth, his azure blue eyes darting around. "Blow already you stupid wind."

And then he felt it. The soft caress on his cheeks. The slight shifting of his hair. Alfred turned almost a full circle, and a grin promptly spread across his face.

"There!" he pointed. His comrades followed his gaze and squinted, struggling to make out what exactly he'd seen. It took some effort, but they managed to make out the ripple in the air, as if it was a portal that led somewhere – which, in this case, probably did.

But it was far, _too_ far for Alfred's liking. He estimated it to be about thirty metres from where they stood, and if the guards really were to come soon, things would get very, _very_ complicated.

No time to think. "We have to run!" Alfred yelled, motioning everyone to move.

It all happened too fast. One second they were all sprinting towards the direction of distortion in the barrier. The next, they found themselves face to face with yet another army.

Alfred muttered a string of curses. _Why does this keep on happening?_ _Sheesh_! The group retreated several steps, unprepared and surprised. Alfred realized with a start that they'd appeared out of thin air. He swiftly swept his gaze across the armoured men before him. There weren't as much as before – about only forty or so. Some were wielding weapons. Most weren't.

Alfred decided not to care about that yet. He had enough trouble coming up with a good strategy that could keep them all alive.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The air was tinged with the smell of ozone. Out of nowhere, someone yelled, "Lightning!"

Alfred's body moved before his mind could process the situation. They split into two groups and jumped opposite directions. Alfred caught a glimpse of the bolt that shot down from the sky right on the spot where they stood seconds ago, cackling with energy and electricity. A thunderclap followed right after, rattling his brain in his skull.

Great. They pull off cool things like playing with light and darkness; controlling fire, ice and wind; and speaking into people's mind and here these people are trying to fry them with lightning. Alfred finally understood why Arthur had said that things were only just starting when they were back in the mining area. They Gifted guards were not in action yet.

They've got no choice. Alfred turned to a very terrified looking Mei.

"Hey, Mei?" he whispered, trying to keep his tone calm for her sake. "I'm so sorry, but can you do me a favour?"

Mei bit her lip to steel her shaky nerves and nodded.

Alfred prayed that none of those guards possess the Gift of super hearing. "Tell Arthur that we'll stay split up. Ask him to lead his group around the guards instead of facing them head on. We'll do the same and we'll regroup outside."

Mei nodded once more to show that she understood. She closed her eyes and concentrated, projecting her voice into Arthur's mind.

Alfred and the others stood guard. He noticed that they weren't being attacked. The guards stared at them. Somewhere, in Alfred's mind, something clicked into place. These people were Gifted too. They understood their need for freedom. They had probably gone through the same thing before they grew old enough to be promoted into serving as guards. Alfred got the feeling that they did not want this any more than they do.

Alfred considered talking to them. He could be pretty convincing at times. But one look at those lifeless eyes behind the chinks of metal, he got the feeling he would need more than convincing power.

His gaze briefly met Arthur's. The Brit nodded slightly to show that he understood the plan, and Alfred responded with a shaky grin. He tried passing a message to him with his eyes, hoping that it would reach him.

_On the count of three._

Arthur nodded once more. He turned to the adolescents of his group, and quickly passed them the orders.

Alfred inhaled. "One."

The guards shifted their position, wary of the countdown. Alfred went on, bracing himself to run.

"Two."

_Please let this work. Please, please, please.._

"Three!"

All at once, they broke into a sprint; Alfred's group one way, Arthur's the other. The guards seemed to have anticipated this, but Alfred and his friends couldn't care less. They were too busy madly dodging the attacks thrown at them and wrenching themselves out of the grip of the hands trying to grab them.

But Alfred noticed another thing: it was all half-hearted, as if the guards were just doing it for show. The grips on their clothes or limbs were not strong and they could easily pull free. The attacks thrown at them were missing them by miles most of the time. Were they really..?

"Alfred!"

Athur's group had already reached the front of the distortion.

"Go!" Alfred yelled. "We'll catch up!"

Arthur looked hesitant at first, but his expression slowly hardened. He nodded towards his group, and leaped in. The others followed suit.

They were almost there. Alfred glanced behind him to make sure he still had everyone with him, before yelling out energetically; "Come on guys! Let's get out of here!" and putting one last burst of speed. They made it past the last few metres without any obstacles. Alfred made his comrades go through first, in case anything would happen.

Nothing did. The guards only stood and watch as they disappeared outside the barrier. Alfred said a silent thank you before he too, made his way through the distortion and into the world outside where freedom awaits.

**xXx**

Alfred instantly discovered why they couldn't be found after they were kidnapped.

He'd turned around as soon as he leaped through the opening, and the clearing was nowhere to be seen. All he saw was another part of the forest. That was the good part.

The bad part was – Alfred realized with a start – that it was too silent. No cheers of triumph. No shouts of joy. No shuffling of feet. Alfred was alone. Panic began rising in his chest as he searched around frantically. No sign of any other human beings. No, _no, no_. This can't be happening. Where was everyone? Were they separated?

Alfred forced himself to calm down, but it was difficult with all the possibilities swirling in his mind. He did not like even one of them. Was he the only one separated? Or were each and every one of them scattered all over the place? Or was he not the only one but just a few others as well?

"Calm down," he told himself firmly. He tried thinking with rational. "I must go straight," he decided. "I must go as far away from here as I can. There's a bigger chance for me to find them if I stay close to a source of water. I must find a river. I must go somewhere higher."

Indeed he was the only separated from the rest of the group as something had definitely gone wrong with the barrier when he passed through. Alfred too, had made the right decision by prioritizing the need to find a higher spot and water source. But one thing Alfred did not know, was that he was going the exact opposite way from where he would meet Arthur and the others.

**xXx**

"Alfred!"

Out of the dozens of voices calling for their missing friend, Arthur's was one of the loudest. They searched high and low, but to no avail. Alfred's existence seemed to have disappeared altogether. The invisible barrier behind their backs did not make matters any easier. It was messing with their usage of their Gifts. Mei was their only hope at one point, but she'd regretfully told them that her powers could only extend to a certain radius, and that she couldn't reach him.

Which only meant that Alfred had ended up somewhere very far from them.

Arthur chewed his lower lip in thought. He contemplated whether or not to set out and search for Alfred immediately. He briefly surveyed the Gifted adolescents around him, and easily came to a conclusion. No. They were too tired. The Vargas brothers looked like they would faint any time soon. Ludwig and Antonio were getting paler and paler by the minute. The others – including Arthur himself, were bruised up pretty badly.

"We'll look for him later," he said. When he got stares of disbelief, he added, "Alfred will know how to look after himself. We'll rest and rejuvenate first. I know you're all tired."

"But Arthur-kun!" Surprisingly, Kiku was the first one to protest. "Alfred-kun might be in danger this very minute. If we don't – "

"But there's no point if we're all tired out and weak, is there?" the Brit replied calmly. "I dread doing this too, but we have no choice. God knows how long it'll take us to find him."

When he saw the solemn faces of his comrades, Arthur couldn't help smiling crookedly to himself. Alfred really was amazing. He was their newest member, yet he was the one that was liked most by everyone. Arthur knew he would never be able to do that. He would never be able to make so many people like him.

"Hey, don't worry," he said when the silence became too suffocating. "We'll look for him. I promise. But first thing's first," he glanced around. "We need to find somewhere safe to set up a camp."

As soon as that came out from his mouth, Arthur realized he had no idea where to start. He had been imprisoned in that coal mine since he was a barely a five years old, and he did not exactly come outside often. Or _at all_, for that matter. Despite his attempts to lead, he had not the slightest idea on how to carry out his plans.

Thankfully, he was spared of embarrassment when Ludwig decided to take over. The German boy stepped forward, letting his gaze travel all around him. He unconsciously let a sigh escape his lips. He hadn't been dumped in a forest for a long time, and he knew his skills must have gone rusty. He was so darned tired from running too.

But all that didn't matter. He saw Arthur's face when the realization sank in. He knew the outside world wasn't exactly the British boy's forte. Arthur barely knew the things about the cities of the modern world, let alone undeveloped forests such as the one they're in now. Like it or not, Ludwig would have to take over for the mean time.

"First, we'll have to get out of here," he announced. "As far away as we can. We should then look for a part of the forest where the greenery is thinner and settle down. We'll find food and water when the time comes." He looked around. "Does anyone have anything to add? Or other ideas?"

None.

"Well then," Ludwig huffed. "Let's get going."

**xXx**

Alfred had no idea how long he'd been walking. His bare feet were cut and blistered badly. They ached with every step he took. His muscles were on fire.

He tilted his head skywards. He thanked whichever deity that was listening for granting him a fairly cloudy day. The afternoon sun was not scorching, but it did not look like it was going to rain anytime soon either.

_This forest goes on forever_, part of him complained. The next time he saw a fallen tree nearby, his brain made no protests to take a short rest. He figured his legs would break if he kept on going. He sank down on the rough surface of the tree bark, slowly bending his stiff legs. Once he was seated, he reached over, and attempted to massage his sore leg muscles, tendons, ligaments, and basically whatever his legs were made up of.

Alfred studied his feet. The cuts were superficial, but it was the blisters that he was worried about. He had one about the size of a ping pong ball on the base each foot. Alfred was tempted to pop them, but he knew better than to do so since it might cause an infection and he might lose his whole leg as a result later.

Alfred heaved a sigh. He regretted not thinking about the possibilities of being stuck in this kind of situation earlier. At least he would've been mentally prepared. Now, sitting there alone, he felt like a lost child; afraid, alone, and without any idea on where he is.

Alfred tore a strip of fabric from the ragged clothes he wore. He was exposing himself to harmful insect bites, but that didn't matter. Carefully dividing the strip into two, he wound them around his feet and bound them as tightly as he could. He straightened, wiping off the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. Now that he thought of it, a miracle must've been bestowed on his glasses. They were fine when he took them off to check for damages. A little caked with dirt and dust, but _fine_. The lens weren't even cracked.

He silently thanked Kiku for fixing his glasses all those times. Maybe he'd secretly done something to them.

Alfred licked his dry lips. His tongue felt like it had been replaced by a piece of sandpaper. Water. Alfred desperately needed water.

An idea came into his mind a second later. He sat very still, closing his eyes and focusing on his hearing. He tried ignoring the cries of an unknown insect that had been echoing in the forest since forever. He tried listening for something past the chirping of birds in the distance.

Alfred had almost – almost, fallen asleep when he finally heard it. His eyes snapped open, darting around for the source of the sound he was keeping an ear out for.

He saw it almost immediately. A small animal with orangey fur was standing less than five feet away from him, staying completely still. Its huge black eyes regarded Alfred warily. It was a fox, maybe? Alfred couldn't be sure. It did resemble the animal from 'The Fox and the Hound'. Now _that_ was a movie. Alfred couldn't stop crying the first time-

He shook his head, hoping to push the distracting thoughts away. He had to concentrate. Mainly because he had to chase the fox back to its nest (nest? Whatever). He had somehow gained the idea that if he were to follow some animals back to their hiding place, he would find a source of water nearby. Maybe even some food.

Alfred rose unsteadily, his legs still sore and aching. Now that he was face to face with his target, he began doubting his abilities to run after it.

Too late. As soon as he stood up, the fox went sort of panicky, and in a flash, it disappeared behind some bushes. Alfred took in a breath. _It's now or never._

Alfred willed his legs to follow the fox.

**xXx**

Meanwhile, Arthur and the others had found and set up a camp site.

As soon as they settled down, at least ten of them passed out at the same time, as if they'd rehearsed it. Arthur and Ludwig volunteered to take the first watch as the others rest. No one had enough energy left to even protest.

Arthur sat side by side with Ludwig, studying a cut on his arm. He didn't even realize it was there until it began to sting a minute ago. The cut wasn't really that deep, but he must've bled a lot before the wound clotted. Now that everything had settled down slightly, Arthur felt light-headed. From the bloodloss. From the excitement. From the sheer anxiety.

"..You okay?"

Arthur glanced at his companion through the corner of his eye. "Yeah. I'm alright, I guess. You tired?"

Ludwig shook his head. "I can still last for about another hour. I can't say it could be the same for you though." He knitted his eyebrows. "You look very pale."

"You don't look any better yourself," Arhur said before insisting, "I'm fine. I'm not that weak."

Ludwig shrugged, though his expression betrayed his indifference. "Okay. Whatever you say, Arthur."

"_Hmph_." As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stay angry. While they were there resting up, Alfred could be fighting for his life. He could be attacked by crazy animals. He could've fallen somewhere and was currently unable to get up again.

The more he thought about it, the more agitated Arthur felt. Being together in a group, they had an upper hand in many things. Ludwig knew how to navigate through a forest, more or less. Antonio could effortlessly help provide fire. They could melt Ivan's ice for water. They had a healer. They had a sniper.

And Alfred only had himself, and hopefully more survival instincts than Arthur thought.

Another sigh escaped Arthur's lips. _Where are you, you stupid git?_


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm finally updating this after more than six months ahahahaha**

**I'm really sorry. It really took me a while to think of more ideas. And I was focusing on other fics so yeahhh**

**/kicked and rolled down a hill**

**at any rate, to all those kind souls who'd actually read this and was looking forward to this update, I'm both sorry and thankful. Thank you so much for reading this fic of mine that looks pretty much halfassed.**

**I'm so sorry again for the late update. I can't promise that the next one would be quick either, so I'm sorry for that too.**

**ah wellll. Hetalia isn't mine. Feel free to point out my mistakes. **

**Thank you so much in advance for reading!**

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><p>Alfred regretted following the fox.<p>

Not only did he lose his appetite; he nearly lost the previous night's dinner altogether. He watched in increasing disgust as the family of foxes enthusiastically tore apart the carcass of a wild rabbit. The smell of blood filled the air, and it was all Alfred could do not to double over and wretch his entire stomach out.

_Okay,_ he decided. _No meat for now_.

Alfred pulled the collar of his ragged shirt over his nose. It reeked of sweat and dust and dirt, but at least it was still better than the smell of blood. Alfred scanned his surroundings. Other than the fact that he had to witness some untidy gore, he was glad that he'd tailed the animal when he saw it. Alfred's guts had been right. There was a river nearby. The boy couldn't see it, but he could hear the gentle gurgles of the water flow from where he stood. The mere thought of the river made him uncontrollably thirsty.

_Stop_, he told himself firmly. One by one. Step by step.

Carefully without making a sound, Alfred slipped out of his hiding spot behind a tree. The foxes were too busy ravening their meal to pay him any notice. Alfred turned away, forcing himself not to look at the bloody remains of the rabbit. He was about to set off again when something caught his eye.

Right there to his left, growing in several big clusters in a bush, were some kind of berries. Alfred caught his breath, but he did not allow himself to get his hopes up just yet. The berries might be poisonous. He moved, bending down and plucking a berry out of its cluster. He turned it round and round between his fingers, warily inspecting the fruit. He took a small sniff at it before peeling the dark blue layer off, revealing a surprisingly green content. So far so good. Alfred took a cautious bite, hoping with all his might that the berry was what he thought it was.

Blueberries had never tasted so good in his life. Before he knew it, Alfred was plucking off more and more, shoving them into his mouth half a dozen at a time. He was hungry - _too_ hungry. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he remembered something he'd heard in class when he was in school. A small voice echoed in his ears, urgently telling him that stuffing himself right after being starved was _not_ good for his health. Alfred couldn't remember what would happen exactly, but he knew he had to stop.

_He had to stop. _

Alfred bit down on his fingers, forcing himself to stop. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and that successfully jarred him back to his senses. He abruptly stood very still, listening to his own heavy breathing as he stared at the crimson liquid trickling down his thumb. He closed his eyes and took in several shaky deep breaths, trying to calm his raging heartbeat. He had to keep his calm. He can't lose control because of his hunger. Deep breaths.

Alfred deemed himself safe to go after his fifth exhale. He stood still just for a while longer, letting his mind clear up. Then he started thinking.

Alfred patted himself down as he struggled to come up with a way to perhaps store the fruits. No, he had no pockets. There wasn't enough decent cloth on him that would make a good pouch. Almost every part of his clothes was peppered with holes the size of a penny. Alfred straightened, and glanced around. Was there anything he could use instead of cloth? Maybe he could just put a mark on the nearest tree and come back later or something.

Alfred's gaze focused on a plant a little further ahead. He wasn't sure what kind of plant it was; Alfred had never seen anything like it before. It resembled some kind of fern? Do ferns even grow on the ground? He didn't know and wasn't bothering to know as long as it had use to him. He took several steps forward, reaching out to inspect the large, luscious leaves. Carefully, he pulled one off, folding and unfolding it to see if it would be suitable enough to be used to wrap food. The leaf seemed flexible enough, and it didn't look like it'd be easily torn. Perfect. Alfred made his way back to the blueberry bush.

Then came the next problem. Alfred had no idea how to magically transform the leaf into a pouch of sorts.

_Think_, he told himself, scrunching his eyes close and knitting his eyebrows. _You're in a forest. Everything you need is practically here. Be creative. _

Alfred thought and thought. He opened his eyes, and stared at the leaf in his hands. It was long; around fifty centimeters in length. An idea slowly started to form in his head. But could he do it? He'd never tried it before.

He shook his head. It wasn't the time to be indecisive. He had to try everything, if that's what it means to survive. Alfred sat down on the base of the tree, spreading the leaf before him. He lifted a finger, and summoned a ball of light the size of a marble. He was thankful to all gods that it was daytime and he had plenty of light at his disposal. He habitually chewed his lip and concentrated a little harder, willing the ball to morph into something flatter and sharper; something resembling the blade of a box knife. Then carefully, he lowered his finger onto the leaf, dragging it sideways to cut a narrow strip about an inch in width.

He repeated what he did for several times more, until he realized that there was an easier way to do it. He piled the strips of leafs under a good-sized rock he'd found (everything was _seriously_ convenient in a forest) before moving to fold the remaining portion vertically in half twice. Then, with the folded part facing away from him, Alfred resumed cutting the leaf strips, dragging his light-blade towards himself instead of sideways.

It was _way_ easier. No pun intended.

Alfred studied his handiwork when he was done. He struggled a little as he did the math. If he were to.. no- he needed more. He needed to cut more.

So he'd once more approached the plant, apologized to it (for some reason) as he retrieved another leaf, and went to work again.

And in the end, Alfred got himself a pile of approximately twenty leaf strips. He leaned back against the tree, exhaling slowly through his mouth. Now that his adrenaline had toned down, Alfred realized just how utterly exhausted he is. His body ached in about fifty different places, and his brain was shutting down. He tilted his head skywards. Night had yet to come, for the day was still bright. But Alfred couldn't endure it any longer. His willpower to keep his eyes open was fading at a rapid rate.

_There shouldn't be any harm in taking a short rest, _he thought, slowly letting his eyelids fall shut.

In barely two seconds, he was asleep.

**xXx**

Arthur had no idea he'd knocked himself out until he woke up.

He sat up, wincing as the blood abruptly rushed to his head. Arthur stayed still and waited for the jabbing pain in his temples to recede before processing the situation he was in.

The sun had set and night had taken over. Arthur could hear the millions of nocturnal life forms beginning to get restless. Owls perched on branches and surveyed everything with their blank stares, waiting for the chance to attack on a prey to come. Sounds of crickets, frogs, and the lot filled the place, making the already eerie forest even more unnerving.

The whole forest at night was like an invisible orchestra playing a tuneless symphony, Arthur realized.

"It seems that you're awake." Arthur turned as Antonio trudged over towards him, orange flames dancing in the latter's olive green eyes. Wait - flames? He turned the other way, belated realizing that a bonfire had been set up not far from where he just slept. Despite everything, Arthur thanked the non-existent gods for not letting him burn himself to death when he slept.

"When did I even fall asleep?" Arthur asked, watching the tanned Spaniard plop himself down right next to him.

"Hmm.. I don't know," Antonio shrugged before letting his habitual smile make its way to his face. "You were already dead to the world when I woke up around three hours ago. Ludwig said you were just too exhausted and told me not to wake you."

"So he'd been keeping watch all alone while I had my beauty rest, huh?" Arthur raked his hand roughly through his tangled hair, feeling furious at himself for abandoning his responsibility like that.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it," Antonio beamed, patting him on the back. "Ludwig's having his turn to rest now and I'm on duty. You can help me instead."

Arthur casted his gaze around, noting that most of them were already awake. Around ten of his companions sat around the fire in a loose ring, all staring blankly into the flames. The others were all around; some pacing aimlessly, some just sitting there gazing up into the star-filled sky above. They looked well rested, though Arthur could still see the anxiety in their eyes.

"Want something to eat?" Arthur turned back to the brunette, raising his eyebrows at the red fruit that the latter had magically produced.

"While you were in dreamland, Vash and some others did some exploring," Antonio explained, biting down into the second apple he'd pulled out of nowhere. He held out the uneaten one closer to Arthur. "Take it. I doubt you're not hungry."

Arthur didn't need to answer. As soon as the Spaniard said it, his stomach let out a loud, very undignified growl. Arthur blushed as Antonio chuckled, accepting the fruit offered to him. He bit out a piece and chewed thoughtfully.

"So you guys found anything?"he asked between chews, glancing sideways at the tanned boy.

"Other than trees and some strange animals? Nothing much," Antonio admitted, lowering his half eaten fruit. "None of us could figure out where we are, exactly. The forest seems to go on forever."

"Are there any tracks? Trails?" _Anything that hinted Alfred's presence?_ Arthur didn't voice out the last part.

Antonio understood, nonetheless. He shook his head grimly. "Sorry. We did everything we could to find Al, but the sun was beginning to set and we had to come back."

"We'll find him tomorrow," Arthur said, his tone deciding and final. Part of him was already on the verge of going crazy with worry. Is Alfred okay? Is he still hanging on? Staying safe? The night was dark. Clouds covered the moon, blocking even the slightest sliver of moonlight from being casted upon the earth.

Is Alfred still alive?

He had to be. Arthur shook his head to push the thought away. Of course Alfred was alive. The git wouldn't die even if he was killed! He'll do whatever it meant to survive, Arthur knew it. Alfred wouldn't give up; not during their escape, and not now when he was separated from the rest of them. He just needed to hang on a little longer. They'll find him; Arthur will make sure he finds him.

"Hey, Antonio?" he spoke up after a while of silence, surprising the said boy.

"Y-Yep?"

Arthur took the last bite out of his apple. "Do we have any more? I'm starving."

**xXx**

Alfred woke up to the rising sun.

He lifted his arms above his head and stretched, listening to the not-exactly assuring cricks and cracks of his stiff bones. He yawned, letting his arms fall back to his sides. For a moment, his mind was blank. Where was he and what had he been doing? Alfred looked around, trying hard to make the gears of his brain start turning again. There was a blueberry bush nearby. There were a bunch of strips of leaves by his side. He was wearing rags that were coming apart. _Oh_. Alfred remembered now. He was stuck in the forest. Alone.

No, not alone. His friends were looking for him, he was sure of it.

Alfred turned eastward, watching the bright orb peek out from the skyline. Rising sun? He was sure the sun was still high up in the sky when he fell asleep. Had he slept that long?

Belated anxiety coursed through his body. He'd been knocked out for nearly half a day. He'd been under a tree, defenseless and open to any predatory attacks. Animals might've attacked him for all he knew. Alfred quickly did a self checkup. Was he still whole? Were all his limbs still attached? Was he bleeding somewhere?

Yes, yes, and no. Except for about a gazillion bug bites all over, Alfred looked just like how he left himself before going to sleep.

That was good. Alfred let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He stood up on his legs, stretching the stiffness out of them. That was good. Luck was on his side for once. He walked several steps to the right and bent down, plucking off some berries and popping them into his mouth.

He then returned back to his spot, and got to work.

Alfred was initially doubtful about his plan. He'd never weaved a basket before. Sure, they'd taught it once during Arts and Crafts - but basket weaving was for _girls_! Of course he didn't listen to what the teacher said! How was he to know that he would need the skill? _Ever_?

_Well, it's not too late to learn_, Alfred thought to himself, running the tip of his tongue over his dry, cracked lips as he reached over to fetch his leave-strips. He moved to align ten strips vertically on the flat ground before him. As soon as he positioned the last strip, a soft breeze blew, and Alfred nearly lost half his hard work. No, that won't do. He swiftly gathered the strips and slipped them under the rock weight he was using before the wind blew again. He then got on his legs again, and began looking for any more decent rocks in the area.

He found some soon enough, and brought them back to his spot. He placed a rock at the top tip of each leaf strip, pinning them in place so that the wind would not take them. Then arming himself with another leaf strip, Alfred started weaving.

He wasn't sure how it went, exactly, but he had the rough idea. Over and under, he vaguely remembered hearing his teacher mention. That was the key. Over and under. Over and under.

Alfred's fingers moved robotically as he worked. It wasn't as hard as he'd thought. Eventually, Alfred trusted his hands enough to let his mind wander off. What was he going to do after finishing his makeshift basket thing? He'll head to the river, then _what_? Was he going to just sit there and wait until the others find him? Should he go and search for them too? But what if he ends up wandering even further away from them? Wasn't staying put the best way?

Doubts - lots of it, taunted his mind. Should he do this? Should he do that? Alfred abruptly stopped weaving. What.. should he do? Anything could happen. There wasn't any guarantees. He might be taking a step towards safety, but he might also be walking towards his own death. What should he do?

Alfred took in a deep breath. Then another. And another. It was not the time to be panicking. Whatever will be, will be, he decided. He willed his hands to start moving again. He'll be alright.

He'll be alright, whatever happens.

Alfred ran the back of his wrist over his forehead, slipping the very last strip into place after what-seemed-to-be a long while. He held up his handiwork, a satisfied smile gracing his features. It wasn't coming apart. That was good news.

The bad news? It was practically a flat sheet.

So basically he was back to square one.

Alfred brought his hard work closer to his eyes. No, not square one. There was something different. What he made was somehow sturdier than the original leaf, and a little bent at the edges. Alfred somehow made himself something that resembled a plate - which, was still better than how he'd started. He got on his legs, and headed back towards the blueberry bush, reaching out to pluck off a whole cluster of the fruit. He placed them on his weaved plate thing. It still wasn't coming apart.

Yep, definitely better, Alfred decided as he proceeded to pluck a little more, just in case. He might not be so lucky the next time. He had to be prepared.

After deeming himself ready to go, Alfred glanced around one last time, and bracing himself for what's to come, he started his way towards the sounds of the flowing river.

**xXx**

"We'll form three groups," Arthur said, casting his gaze at his comrades. "Each group will take a specific direction: one to our east, one to our west. The rest will stay here and keep a lookout in case Alfred somehow stumbles here. If any of the scouts finds him, come back here to the camp, and send the rest of us some kind of signal." He nodded at Antonio, and the latter nodded back. Arthur turned back to the others. "I'll lead the group that's going back to the direction where we'd come from. We have until sunset. Return here no matter what happens. Any questions?"

Arthur's emerald green eyes met with dozens of pairs of others, all as grim as one another. He couldn't help smiling wanly.

"In that case, let's move out," he said when he did not receive an answer. "Good luck, everyone!"

Arthur stood and waited for the members of the other two scouting groups to disappear behind the mass of trees before turning towards his own. "Let's go."

"_Vehh_ be careful, Artie!" Feli latched himself on Arthur's arm before the boy could walk off. "It's dangerous to go back that way."

"We'll be fine," Arthur assured, though it felt like he was trying to assure himself too. He gently peeled himself away from the Italian's grasp. "You just stay here and try to rest."

Feli's condition was definitely deteriorating with every minute passed. The bags under his eyes were increasingly prominent, and his skin was as pale as paper. He tried to sound energetic, but Arthur could hear just how exhausted he was from his voice. Feli's Gift was - without a doubt - useful, but the price it came with was too heavy.

Feli spotted the clotted cut on Arthur's arm. "Ah, let me heal that for you!"

Arthur realized everything too late. "No, Feli wait-"

But the cut on his arm had closed up, and his skin was as good as new. Arthur glared at Feli, silently yelling at the boy for being an idiot. He shouldn't be using his Gift unless necessary! Arthur watched in increasing worry as the Italian boy turned several impossible shades paler.

"There you go!" Feli said, attempting to sound cheery in order to hide his exhaustion. It was all Arthur could do not to wince at just how forced his tone sounded.

"Thanks, Feli," he said after a pause. He tried for a smile before turning around. "I'll be going then."

He locked eyes with his comrades, waved them to get going, and started towards the seemingly endless forest.

**xXx**

Alfred found the river.

And he still wasn't sure what to do with it. Alfred had let desperation control his thoughts earlier, but now that he was standing in front of the real thing, he was starting to feel reluctant. This was a river in a forest in the middle of nowhere. Alfred had heard of the bajillion kinds of microorganisms in rivers that could give you a lifetime of diarrhea if you weren't careful. He had no purifier or anything to help him, and Alfred wasn't exactly looking forward to a future that's filled with trips to the toilet.

Alfred sat down at the edge of the flowing current, setting down his collection of berries before crossing his arms in thought. Maybe he should find another water source? He wasn't really willing to risk his stomach health at the moment, but what else could he do? He was alone in the forest, goddamnit! Being a fusspot wouldn't help! Alfred exhaled loudly in frustration. The water he needed was right in front of him, and he couldn't drink it.

Alfred slapped himself in the face, hard. It was a choice between living in the future with a bad case of diarrhea that could probably be cured with a little medical stuff or dying right there on the spot from dehydration. Alfred got himself on his arms and knees, and leaned over, watching as the current distorted his reflection on the surface of the water. Alfred removed his glasses and took in a deep breath, steeling his nerves. You only live once, right?

Alfred curled his fingers into the dirt, and lowered his face towards the water, pausing right when his mouth touched the surface. Pushing back the still lingering paranoia, he forced himself to take a sip.

All his worries about germs vaporized on the spot. Despite being able to eat some berries before, Alfred's thirst returned full blast. It was all he could do to force himself to stop after several big gulps lest his ends up throwing up all that's left of his food intake for the last 24 hours. Alfred jerked himself upright, sitting still and trying to feel if he'd be having the uncontrollable urge to take a dump anytime soon.

Fortunately, he didn't. Alfred sighed in relief after several minutes had passed without him feeling anything. He'll be okay. He cupped his hands and scooped up some water, splashing his arms and face to wash away a layer of the months' worth of dirt caked on his skin. He picked up his specs and put them on again, blinking as his eyesight came back to focus. Alfred realized he was grinning. He felt refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges that might be thrown his way. Finding the river really boosted his confidence, for some reason.

He casted his gaze all around. What should he do next? He wondered for the umpteenth time in two days. His gaze followed the direction of the river flow. If his geography wasn't as bad as he thought, Alfred guessed he'd end up at a beach or lake of some sorts if he followed the flow. Or worst; he might end up finding another river. He turned the other way. River sources are usually located in higher ground, Alfred remembered hearing that somewhere. He needed to go somewhere where he could have a better view of the forest, he knew that.

He was sure Arthur and the others knew that too. Alfred considered this. If they could think alike, if his instincts about finding higher ground was basically common sense; then his friends would, without a doubt be looking for a river too in their search for him. They'll end up facing the same river sooner or later.

But that doesn't mean they might find him. They could've stumbled just a little ahead of him, missing him by just a kilometer or so. They might be so darned close to him, yet there was a chance they might not see him completely.

Alfred shook his head. He had to have faith in his friends. Arthur was way too smart to ask anyone to do the searching alone, much less doing so himself. They would have formed a party of at least four people to look for him. Years in prison had made the Gifted children careful. Alfred was certain that if his comrades were to reach the river, they would search the whole stretch of it just to make sure before moving on to someplace else.

Alfred studied his surroundings once more. The riverbank was nothing but open space. Camping out in the open in a forest filled with bloodthirsty foxes (Alfred now wondered why he'd ever considered them as _cute_ before) didn't seem to be the best idea. Alfred stared at the thick growth of trees in the area. They didn't look too tall. Maybe he should try climbing one?

The loud growl of his stomach destroyed all his intentions to start an attempt. Alfred stared at the river, remembering that he'd not only searched for one to use as a landmark, but also as an alternate food source. He figured that he'd be sick of berries real soon.

Alfred decided that it was time for him to learn how to fish.


End file.
